The 3 - November 17, 2019

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a disagreement over a Christmas tree in the state capitol in Wisconsin.  Also, a graphic designer in Colorado is being forced by state law to provide services that violate her convictions.  And, a Christian in Hong Kong has reportedly lost his life in the continuing protests, which have turned intense and violent.

Christmas tree skirmish in WI

Already, here just before the launch of the Christmas season, there is a skirmish regarding the celebration of the holiday.  This time, it involves public officials in the state of Wisconsin.

According to ChristianHeadlines.com, the Democrat Governor, Tony Evers, decided to call the tree in the Capitol rotunda a "holiday tree" and adorned it with "science-themed" ornaments.  The article says that the state's assembly, led by Republicans, passed a resolution, which...

...passed, 64-30, with 60 Republicans and four Democrats joining together to support it. All the “no” votes came from Democrats. It now moves to the Senate, which must pass it for it to have power. It does not require the signature of Gov. Tony Evers, the Journal Sentinel reported.

The article reports that:

The resolution says the state “respects all religious and cultural customs and is desirous of properly naming the publicly-displayed symbols of our state's diverse holiday traditions out of respect for all traditions.”

“The decorated tree has been on display in the Capitol rotunda annually during the Christmas holiday season since 1916 and has been traditionally referred to as a ‘Christmas tree,’” the resolution says. “... The Wisconsin legislature wishes to continue this tradition and join numerous other states and public institutions and millions of American families in celebrating the Christmas holiday season with a Christmas tree.”

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Jim Steineke, is quoted by the Journal Sentinel as saying, “It is a Christmas tree. Everyone knows it’s a Christmas tree. Changing the name of the Christmas tree to anything else would be a political game,” adding, “And that's what the governor did when he renamed it.”

Graphic designer challenges CO law which requires her to promote messages that conflict with her beliefs

In Colorado, the same state where cake baker Jack Phillips encountered opposition because he chose not to provide a cake for a same-sex ceremony, an event that he did not want to be a part of, based on his faith perspective, a graphic artist is facing similar barriers.

The Alliance Defending Freedom reports that "Lorie Smith and her studio, 303 Creative, filed an appeal...of a federal district court’s order that upheld a state law provision that gags creative professionals from talking about their beliefs when explaining their business decisions."  The website goes on to say: "The September order finalized a May ruling and adds to a previous decision that would allow Colorado officials to force Smith to design and publish websites promoting messages or causes that conflict with her beliefs."

This all stems from the state's Anti-Discrimination Act, which, according to ADF:

...prohibits creative professionals from expressing any views about marriage that could indicate someone is “unwelcome, objectionable, unacceptable, or undesirable” because of their sexual orientation or that suggests that the designer won’t create particular expressive works because of those beliefs.

ADF Senior Counsel Jonathan Scruggs states, "Americans shouldn’t be forced by the government to create and publish websites that promote messages or causes they disagree with. That is a quintessential freedom that the First Amendment protects..."

Hong Kong protests continue, intensify after Christian student's death

There has been a Christian element of the protests in Hong Kong, which started out as opposition to a proposed extradition law; even though the proposal seems to have been withdrawn, there is still hostility toward the perceived overreach of the Chinese government, known for its oppression of Christians, which seems to be intensifying.

The Christian Post reports on a new development:

Last week, 22-year-old Chow Tsz-lok, a second-year computer science undergraduate at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, died from his injuries after he fell from the third floor to the second floor of a car park in Tseung Kwan O on Nov. 4 while police carried out a dispersal operation nearby with rounds of tear gas fire, The South China Morning Post reports.

The article goes on to say:

Friends described Chow as a Christian who was known in his social circle for his passion for sports and mathematics, as well as his willingness to help others in school. Numerous vigils were held across the city in honor of Chow, with a moment of silence to commemorate the late student.

The Post also states:

As violence and unrest continues to escalate, Christians — who make up 11 percent of the population — have been actively engaging with the social movement. In June, the hymn "Sing Hallelujah" to the Lord rang out as an unofficial protest anthem.

According to a report from the Hong Kong Free Press, volunteers from Protect the Children, headed by pastor Roy Chan, have in recent days stood between the police and protesters, shielding young front-line demonstrators with their bodies.

Other churches in the area have opened their doors to offer shelter on demonstration days.

One of those is the Chinese Methodist Church. The pastor, Poon Yuk Kuen, told the Hong Kong Free Press that people come into the church for, as the Post puts it, "refuge during police clearance actions from previous protests." He is quoted as saying, "No matter what kind of person you are, we welcome you, because this is to fulfill our faith. We are willing to love everyone with the love of Jesus Christ.”